Display box for cylindrical containers with a profiled base

ABSTRACT

Display box for a cylindrical container with profiled base, the box having a frontal aperture for the passage of said container, at one end of said frontal aperture there being provided an appendix having profiled holes able to engage and retain the profiled portion of the base of the container to prevent its rotation about its axis.

FILED OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a display box for asubstantially cylindrical container of the type having a profiled basefrom which at least one tooth or the like projects, the box having anappendix in which a hole is provided for the insertion of said tooth, toprevent the container rotating about its axis when housed in the displaybox.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Cylindrical containers are known (for example for perfumes,deodorants or other valuable or high cost substances, which may or maynot be under pressure within the containers and can be dispensed bymanually operated pumps or valves applied to the containers and coveredor protected by lids or the like which often have the same shape andtransverse dimension as the containers on one end of which they aremounted), presenting writing, designs, trademarks or the like on alimited portion of their cylindrical surface.

[0003] It is known to house such containers in boxes from which thatcontainer portion carrying said trademarks, writing or the like projectsand is visible.

[0004] The problem which arises is to prevent the containers fromrotating about their axis after being correctly inserted into the boxthrough an aperture or window in a front wall of the box, so that thatcontainer portion carrying the trademarks or writing is always exposedto view.

[0005] The containers cannot be fixed by glue or the like into therelative display box because glue traces (anti-aesthetic and fastidiousto the touch) could remain adhering to the container surface after theirremoval from the display box in order to be used. All previous attemptsto construct low cost boxes which allow an exactly defined lateralcontainer portion to remain in view while being effective in preventingthe containers from rotating about their longitudinal axis (for exampleby the effect of shaking, or following handling, deformation or impactswhich always occur during box transport and storage) after insertion inthe required position in the box have not been successful.

[0006] Most containers for which display boxes are used are of twotypes, of which one has a totally cylindrical lateral surface (includingany lid) and a concave base from which a small tooth or protuberanceprojects, and the other has an annular collar projecting in proximity tothe container lid, this collar often having only an aesthetic function,but often forming the ring which fixes a pump or a valve to thecontainer mouth.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a display boxable to house and retain a container of cylindrical type with a basefrom which a tooth or the like projects, as stated.

[0008] Another object is to provide a display box of the stated typewhich is formed from a single piece of punched and crease-linedcardboard and can be assembled automatically by those machines commonlypresent in cardboard processing firms specialized in-box-production.

[0009] These and further objects are attained by a box comprising sidewalls, a base wall and a front wall in which a window bounded bylongitudinal edges and end edges is provided through which thereprojects outwards a cylindrical portion of a container which is housedin the box in a seat defined by said base wall and by inner longitudinalwalls of the box and extending between said base wall and the front wallin correspondence with the longitudinal edges of the window providedtherein, said window having substantially the same shape and dimensionsas the outer profile of the longitudinal section through the container,characterised in that from one of the end edges bounding said windowthere projects a discoidal appendix separated from said front wall by afolding line or the like which enables the appendix to rotate about saidfolding line, in the discoidal appendix there being provided at leastone hole the dimensions of which are such that a tooth or the likeprojecting from the container base can be inserted into each of them andretained therein, to prevent the container from rotating about its axiswhen housed in its seat in the display box.

[0010] Preferably, the holes provided in the discoidal appendix areelongate and are distributed radially to converge towards the centralpoint of said folding line, the end edge of said window from which saiddiscoidal appendix extends being shaped substantially complementary tothe shape of the base of the container which the box is intended tohouse.

[0011] The invention also relates to the punched and crease-linedcardboard sheet used to form the box.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] The structure and the characteristics of the display boxaccording to the invention will be more apparent from the ensuingdescription of a preferred embodiment thereof given by way ofnon-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

[0013]FIG. 1 is a plan view of a flat punched and crease-lined cardboardsheet showing that surface thereof which is to remain in the inside ofthe box;

[0014] FIGS. 2 to 5 show the same cardboard sheet in its varioussuccessive stages of folding and gluing by the cardboard processing firmwhich produces the box;

[0015]FIG. 6 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of a box housinga container the profile of which is shown (for clarity of the drawing)by dashed lines; and

[0016]FIG. 7 is a partial perspective view on an enlarged scale of oneend of the box already prepared and shaped, as it appears before acontainer is inserted therein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Reference will firstly be made to FIG. 1 representing a planview, showing that side which remains inside the box formed therefrom,of a piece of punched and crease-lined cardboard comprising a pluralityof parallel folding or creasing lines 1-9 defining two side walls 10,11, a base wall 12, a front wall 13 and two inner longitudinal walls 14,15 separated by an intermediate wall 16, on the left (with respect toFIG. 1) of the wall 15 there extending two narrow longitudinal walls 17and 18 respectively.

[0018] In that cardboard sheet portion comprising the walls 14 and 16 arectangular hole 21 is lowerly provided to define lowerly (with respectto the drawing) a narrow strip of cardboard separated into two parts 22,23 by a short folding line 24 (which is not aligned with the creasingline 4), whereas a short creasing line 25 separates the part 23 from theintermediate wall 16; in the upper wall of the same cardboard sheetportion 14, 16 there is provided a profiled hole 26 which upperly (withrespect to the drawing) defines a thin cardboard strip presenting twocreasing lines 27, 28.

[0019] Finally it can be seen that flaps 29, 30, intended for example toact as lids for closing the ends of the completed box, project from thebase wall 12; and that in the front wall 13 there is provided a largeelongate hole 31 the shape and width of which are substantially equal tothose of the front profile of the container (including its lid) which isto be housed and displayed in the box. It can be seen that that end edge32 bounding the upwardly facing end of the hole 31 is shapedsubstantially complementary to the shape or profile of the base of saidcontainer, which is assumed to be concave.

[0020] From this end edge 32 of the hole 31 there projects a discoidalappendix 19 which is separated from said edge by a facilitated foldingline 20 (formed for example by small cuts or knurling) about which thediscoidal appendix can easily rotate in order to be turned into theinside of the already finished and shaped box. From the drawings it canalso be seen that in the discoidal appendix 19 there are provided aplurality of radially distributed small elongate holes 60, the profileand dimensions of which are such that a tooth or the like, projectingfrom the base of the container which the box is intended to house, canbe inserted into and retained in each of them (just one of said holes 60could also be provided).

[0021] It will now be assumed that the cardboard sheet of FIG. 1 is tobe used to form the required display box.

[0022] A strip of glue 16A (shown dotted in FIG. 1) is firstly appliedto the wall 16, then the cardboard sheet is folded back on itselfclockwise about the creasing line 6, as shown in FIG. 2; then whileholding the walls 14 and 16 adhering to and resting on the underlyingwalls 10 and 12, the cardboard sheet is folded anticlockwise about thecreasing line 3 (FIG. 3) to superpose the walls 15, 17, 18 on the walls14 and 16. Then by rotating clockwise about the creasing line 2, thewalls 17 and 18 are turned over onto the wall 15 (FIG. 4) and two stripsof glue (represented by the longitudinally distributed dots) 40, 41 arespread onto the cardboard sheet, between the creasing lines 5, 6 and 1,2 respectively.

[0023] At this point the cardboard sheet is again turned overanticlockwise about the creasing line 8 (FIG. 5) to superpose the wall11 on the wall 18 and press the front wall 13 onto the two strips ofglue 40, 41 to securely fix the wall 13 both to the wall 17 and to thewall longitudinally bound by the creasing lines 5 and 6: the preparationof the box (which lies flat and pressed on itself) by the firm which hasproduced it is hence terminated. Packs of flattened boxes obtained inthis manner are used directly by those firms which give them the finalshape required to receive and retain the containers 50, the profile ofwhich is shown by dashed lines (for drawing clarity) in FIG. 6.

[0024] The firm which uses the boxes makes them assume (very easily andquickly, using automatic machines of known type) the parallelepiped formshown in FIGS. 6 and 7 by simply pressing the creasing lines 6 and 8 onetowards the other.

[0025] At this point the user firm automatically inserts (as iscurrently done) a container 50 through the elongate hole 31 provided inthe front wall 13 of the box, positioning the container in contact withthe wall 16 and between the two internal longitudinal walls 14, 15 whichhave a length less than the diameter of the container, a portion ofwhose cylindrical surface (precisely that portion carrying trademarks orwriting which is to remain permanently visible from the outside of thebox through the hole 31) projects from the outer surface of the frontwall 13 of the display box.

[0026] As soon as the box has been shaped and before the cylindricalcontainer 50 is inserted into it, the discoidal appendix 19 is coplanarwith the surface of the front wall 13 from which it projects (as shownin FIG. 7, which shows only that end portion of the box at which thecontainer base is to be positioned and which, as already stated, is ofconcave shape and presents at least one projecting tooth, usually ofelongate shape and radial arrangement, as is each of the elongate holes60).

[0027] As soon as the container 50 has been inserted into the boxthrough the hole 31 provided in the front wall 13 of the box, the bottomend of the container interferes with the discoidal appendix 19, causingit to turn over (about the folding line 20) into the box (FIG. 6). Asthe end edge 32 of the hole 31 is shaped substantially complementary tothe profile of the container base, the discoidal appendix becomespositioned adhering to the container base; the tooth which is assumed toproject from the container base penetrates automatically (or after thecontainer has undergone a very small rotation about its axis) into oneof the holes 60 of the discoidal appendix, hence preventing any freerotation of the container about its axis after the container has beeninserted into the box.

[0028] In this manner the trademarks, writing and the like present onthat cylindrical surface portion of the container which have beenpositioned to be visible through the hole 31 in the front wall 13 remainpermanently facing the hole 31.

1. A display box for a substantially cylindrical container with aprofiled base, comprising side walls, a base wall and a front wall inwhich a window bounded by longitudinal edges and end edges is providedthrough which there projects outwards a cylindrical portion of acontainer which is housed in the box in a seat defined by said base walland by inner longitudinal walls of the box and extending between saidbase wall and the front wall in correspondence with the longitudinaledges of the window provided therein, said window having substantiallythe same shape and dimensions as the outer profile of the longitudinalsection through the container, wherein from one of the end edgesbounding said window there projects a discoidal appendix separated fromsaid front wall by a folding line or the like which enables the appendixto rotate about said folding line, in the discoidal appendix there beingprovided at least one hole the dimensions of which are such that a toothor the like projecting from the container base can be inserted into eachof them and retained therein, to prevent the container from rotatingabout its axis when housed in its seat in the display box.
 2. A displaybox as claimed in claim 1, wherein the holes provided in the discoidalappendix are elongate and are distributed radially to converge towardsthe central point of said folding line.
 3. A display box as claimed inclaim 1 wherein the end edge of said window from which said discoidalappendix extends is shaped substantially complementary to the shape ofthe base of the container which the box is intended to house.
 4. Adisplay box as claimed in claim 2 wherein the end edge of said windowfrom which said discoidal appendix extends is shaped substantiallycomplementary to the shape of the base of the container which the box isintended to house.
 5. A display box as claimed in claim 1 which isformed from a single piece of punched and crease-lined cardboard, whichis folded and glued in discrete regions.
 6. A punched and crease-linedcardboard sheet usable for forming a display box in accordance withclaim 1.